We’ve seen soybean prices on the rise after China recently ended their boycott of U.S. soybeans following the Trump administration’s new trade agreement with China.
“The American soybean farmer desperately needs that market and that opportunity,” said Caleb Ragland, President of the American Soybean Association (ASA). He spoke with Hoosier Ag Today during the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention in Kansas City.
Ragland said he is encouraged by the new trade deal between the U.S. and China.
“It’s going to be really exciting when we actually see those soybeans being unloaded and we see cash on the barrel head and that deal is completed, because, historically, there have been times where there’s been some seesawing, and back-and-forth, and cancellations, and movement, and so forth, but we have confidence that we will get substantial sales made,” said Ragland.
He said he is also encouraged by the Trump administration’s proposed $12-13 billion Farm Aid package for farmers who were negatively impacted by the recent trade war with China.
“We were already facing some struggles within the farm economy and this made things far worse for many operations,” he said. “A financial bridge in order to help recover from some of those losses is vital that that gets done. It needs to happen sooner than later because there are a lot of operations that are severely hurting financially. Some operations won’t be in business in 2026 if something doesn’t change.”
Ragland adds that lawmakers in Washington, D.C. still need to pass an updated Farm Bill in 2026.
“[America’s farmers] haven’t been prioritized in getting this done,” says Ragland. “I know that our leadership in both parties wants to see it happen within the ag circles, but when you get outside of that [agriculture] committee, sometimes I feel like we get lost. We need to see this prioritized and get done. It’s vital to this country because agriculture is the lifeblood of the United States.”
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